(Alliance News) - On Tuesday, after the release of a series of macroeconomic data across Europe and overseas, markets moved mixed, with the FTSE 100 in Europe the only negative list, pushed down also by IMF forecasts of a UK contraction in 2023 that coincided with a slump in retail sales in Germany.

"The week is coming into full swing, with a series of IMF growth forecasts adding further spice to an already data-rich day. Investor sentiment remains uncertain in Europe, with the U.K. particularly under pressure in the wake of the IMF report predicting that the country will be the only covered nation to contract in 2023," commented Joshua Mahony, market analyst at IG.

"The decision to revise the U.K. growth outlook to a negative figure comes amid warnings of energy-fueled inflationary pressures, pre-pandemic employment levels and tight fiscal policies. For the UK, the difficulty of bringing inflation back under control cannot be understated as a concern for the future, with the current headline CPI figure of 10.5 percent in stark contrast to the U.S. figure of 6.5 percent. Until we see UK inflation under control in a meaningful way, there is reason to believe that the Bank of England will require a higher and longer approach to rates than the Fed."

Thus, the FTSE Mib closes up 1.0 percent to 26,599.74, Mid-Cap down 0.4 percent to 43,263.71, Small-Cap gives up 0.1 percent to 29,568.76, and Italy Growth loses 0.8 percent to 9,513.18.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 gives up 0.2 percent, Paris' CAC 40 rises 0.1 percent and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is on the parity line.

On the main list of Piazza Affari, UniCredit jumps more than 12 percent after announcing a 2022 full-year profit excluding Russia to EUR5.4 billion from EUR3.3 billion in the previous year, "the best result in more than a decade," as pointed out by CEO Andrea Orcel.

The stock boosts banking stocks with BPER Banca, Intesa Sanpaolo and Banco BPM reporting positive values between 3.6 percent and 2.6 percent.

Terna - down 0.7 percent - announced Tuesday that the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security has started the authorization process for the project to rationalize the high-voltage power grid in the West Brianza area, for which the company will invest a total of more than EUR100 million.

On the Mid-Cap, MFE-MediaForEurope-with A and B shares closing green by 1.2 percent and red by 0.1 percent, respectively-reported Monday evening that the boards of directors of MFE and its subsidiary Mediaset España Comunicación approved and agreed to sign the joint plan for the cross-border merger by incorporation of MES into MFE.

From a strategic, operational and industrial point of view, this merger, the company explains in a note, "is aimed at the strategic and operational integration of the participating companies, which until now have operated independently in their respective territorial areas, resulting in the creation of a pan-European group active in the media and entertainment market."

Webuild ends 3.1 percent in the red. The company announced Monday that it has been awarded the EUR208 million contract to carry out work on the doubling and modernization of Lot 1 of the Ragusa-Catania highway.

Juventus Football Club - in the green by 0.6 percent - announced Monday that it had reached an agreement with Leeds United Football Club for the sale, on a temporary basis until June 30, 2023, of the rights to the sports performance of footballer Weston McKennie for a consideration of EUR1.25 million, plus bonuses of up to EUR250,000 upon the occurrence of certain sporting goals.

On the Small-Cap, Seri Industrial closes up 1.1 percent after announcing Tuesday that the board of directors authorized the signing of new leases with related party Pmimmobiliare by subsidiaries FIB and Seri Plast and with Azienda Agricola Quercete by the company.

Doing worse than everyone else was ePrice, which gave up 5.5 percent, while TesMec closed at the top of the list, posting a 3.7 percent gain.

Among SMEs, Esautomotion gives up 0.6 percent after announcing Tuesday that group revenues as of December 31, 2022 were EUR34.0 million, up 19 percent from 2021 when they were EUR28.6 million.

Clabo lost 6.8 percent. On Monday it reported that the board of directors reviewed some management data for fiscal year 2022, reporting total consolidated revenues of EUR58.8 million, up 16 percent from the previous year when they amounted to EUR50.8 million.

Digital Value leaves 1.4 percent on the parterre, after reporting Tuesday that it ended 2022 with revenues of EUR706.9 million, up 18 percent or EUR109.4 million from the previous year.

The figure was 1.4 percent above the market consensus of EUR697.2 million "and confirms the country's strong focus on investments in digitization and ICT infrastructure efficiency," the company explained.

Casta Diva Group -- down 1.1 percent -- on Monday disclosed that its board of directors reviewed the preliminary consolidated revenue figure for fiscal year 2022, not yet audited, which closed at EUR82 million, up 175 percent from EUR29.7 million in 2021.

Innovatec gains 3.3 percent after announcing Tuesday that it has received authorization from the Province of Monza Brianza to build a plant for waste treatment and recovery activities in Lazzate.

The authorized plant is immediately buildable, will cover an area of about 13,000 square meters, of which 3,000 covered, and will be built in the next 12 months with a planned investment of about EUR3.5 million.

In New York at the height of trading on Tuesday, the Dow is in the green by 0.3 percent, the Nasdaq gains 1.0 percent, and the S&P 500 is in the green by 0.6 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changes hands at USD1.0861 versus USD1.0867 at Monday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2318 from USD1.2374 on Monday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD85.31 per barrel from USD85.24 per barrel on Monday evening. Gold, meanwhile, trades at USD1,904.40 an ounce from USD1,928.00 an ounce last session.

Wednesday's macroeconomic calendar opens at 0101 CET with the BRC index of retail prices.

In Asia, at 0130 CET it is the turn of Japan's manufacturing purchasing managers' index. At 0245 CET, eyes on China's Caixin manufacturing PMI index. At 0800 CET, it's "back to it" again in the UK for the national house price index.

At 0915 CET, the Spanish manufacturing purchasing managers' index is expected to be released. The same figure is expected in Italy at 0945 CET; at 0950 it is the turn of the French PMI index, and five minutes later comes Germany's manufacturing purchasing managers' index.

At 1000 CET, the Eurozone's manufacturing PMI is released and half an hour later the UK's.

At 1100 CET, the OPEC summit is held while January inflation is published in Italy, as well as in the Eurozone, along with the unemployment figure.

At 1300 CET, the weekly US mortgage data release is expected.

Also overseas, the US manufacturing purchasing managers' index is expected at 1545. Fifteen minutes later it is the turn of the ISM manufacturing employment index, home construction spending data and new jobs JOLTS.

At 1630 CET it is the turn of crude oil stocks.

Among the companies listed in the Piazza Affari, no particular announcements are expected.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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